ELEF's Annual Golf Outing and Awards Dinner to take place May 12

ELEF's "Sur-Prize Patrol"awards a check to MacDonald Middle School teacher Chris DeHaan for materials to continue his hydroponics program with students.

May 12 marks the East Lansing Education Foundation's (ELEF's) 16^th annual golf outing and dinner reception. Five outstanding individuals from the East Lansing community will be honored at the event, which is open to the public.

The event will take place at Eagle Eye Golf Course and Banquet Center. Registration will open at 11:00am with the golf scramble beginning at 12:30pm. The top three four-person teams will be awarded prizes.

At 5:00pm, the dinner reception will take place at the Banquet Center. The reception will include dinner, cocktails and entertainment from East Lansing Public Schools students. Former State Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer will be in attendance to give out the awards.

Since its creation in 1984, ELEF has provided local schools with additional resources and increased educational opportunities for its students. The Foundation’s work has included developing enrichment programs, fostering alumni relations and furnishing equipment and facilities. In 2015, ELEF was able to grant $44,000 to East Lansing Public Schools.

ELEF’s Distinguished Alumni Award will be given to Class of 1977 alumni Jim Lammers. Lammers (BA, Stanford University’ JD, University of Michigan) practiced law before joining Dart Container Corporation in 1986. In addition to being named President of Dart in 2014, Lammers has held various leadership roles in community service associations and trade organizations.

Alyson Knox, Class of 1986, will be awarded the Outstanding Alumni Honor Roll Award. Knox currently works for Microsoft in its Washington DC office as Director of Education Policy and Programs. She is an alumni of University of Michigan (BA), Michigan State University (MA), and Harvard University (Ed.M.) and has focused her career on developing successful educational programs for students.

The ELEF Award will be given to George Brookover, graduate of East Lansing High School, Cornell University (BA), and The University of Michigan (JD). Brookover has practiced law in the area for many years, first working for a Lansing law firm, and later starting his own firm on Abbot Road. He has served on panels for Ingham County, and been a member of multiple committees and organizations including serving as President of the East Lansing School Board for three years.

Beth and Albert Cafagna will be honored with the Theda Assiff Award for Distinguished Community Service. The two have a history of involvement in the community ranging from the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival to the Autism Society of Lansing and Lansing area Compassionate Friends, a support group for parents that lost a child (their son Corey died in 2000). After Corey’s death, the couple created the ELEF Corey Cafagna Endowment Fund for special education and band/choir programs. A City park also commemorates Corey’s life.

Corey Cafagna Park

The Spartan Village GLOBAL Education Award will be awarded to Daryl Bean, a long-time East Lansing Public Schools teacher. Bean had numerous nominations raving about her teaching, fostering, and genuine care for her students. “As a student of the world, Daryl has made it a priority to integrate the perspectives and cultures of the globe into her classroom,” Ashley Keine wrote in her nomination letter. “Daryl challenges her students to see beyond their own perspectives, to see themselves as fellow students of the world.”

If you are interested in attending the outing, tickets for the golf scramble (dinner included) are $150 each. If you are interested in the dinner only, tickets are $50 each. More information is available on ELEF’s website.